The Nokia Platform: Mobile Apps, Maps, and $250K in Prizes

This post is part of our Nokia Mobile Mashup Channel, a sponsored ProgrammableWeb section focused on building mobile apps and mashups for Nokia devices.

Nokia, with new devices like the Nokia N97 making gadget blog headlines and the opening of the Ovi Store last month, is in the midst of a big push to expand and open its platform to web developers of all stripes. The $250,000 prize money offered in the Calling All Innovators Contest, is one of the largest prizes for developers that we've seen, along with a hefty $30K in prizes for the Apps on Maps Contest. And finally, a new Ovi Maps API offers rich 2D and 3D views, optimized for mobile as well as website applications.

Contests: Developers have until the end of this month to enter their apps for the two contests from Nokia: Calling All Innovators and Apps on Maps. As a follow-up to last fall's Innovators contest, Nokia has raised the total prize money to $250,000 and entrants can create winning apps in 3 categories:

Emerging Markets: Create apps that help meet the needs and improve the lives of millions living in rural areas worldwide.

Flash: Use Flash Lite on Nokia devices to build rich mobile apps.

Deadline for entries is June 30th and can be submitted here. As an extra incentive, winners also get premium placement at the new Ovi Store. Premium placement is known to be a key driver for gaining traction on sales.

Also coming-up is the deadline for the Apps on Maps contest where developers can build location-aware apps by taking the new Ovi Maps API and open standards to win cash prizes up to $30,000, get premium Ovi Store placement and be showcased at a major Nokia event. Submit your idea this month to enter.

Ovi Store: Ovi means 'door' in Finnish, and the door is now open for developers to capitalize on Nokia's mobile growth. The store applications are organized into these categories: Business, City Guides/Maps, Entertainment, Music, News and Info, Photo and Video, Reference, Social Networks, Sports, and Utilities. A separate category for games has 121 paid and free apps as of today and is growing quickly.

For inspiration, see developers already in the store who are building mobile apps based on third party services:

Facebook for Nokia: Facebook's mobile app for Nokia devices that gives you mobile access to essential Facebook functions: update your status, see what your friends are up to, upload photos, and check messages.

IM+ for Skype: Chat with your Skype contacts for free, call to any landline or mobile number at low rates. The app works worldwide in any 3G /GSM/CDMA does not require Wi-Fi.

Ovi Maps Player API: And as one more part of Nokia's strategy to become an open platform, earlier this month they also announced the new Ovi Maps Player API. It's a new JavaScript mapping API that's built on the technology from NAVTEQ, whom they acquired in late 2007. The API is currently in limited beta. We've created a new Ovi Maps Player API profile that will have more technical details as they are released.

For more on building mobile mashups on Nokia's platform check-out our special PW Nokia mobile mashup section that includes videos, tutorials, example mashups and code.